Ken Bedell

Ken Bedell is ordained in The United Methodist Church. He led congregations for 16 years in New York, Maryland, and Ohio. He has taught at the junior high, high school, college and theological schools level. As a volunteer with the Mennonite Central Committee he taught high school in Swaziland. In his capacity as executive secretary of the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges and Universities Ken visited schools and colleges in Argentine, Brazil, Korea, Mozambique, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. His is the author of five books and numerous articles and scholarly papers. His book entitled, "Different Ships—Same Boat," on ethics was published by the World Association for Christian Communication. For five years he edited the annual "Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches" for the National Council of Churches. After receiving his PhD in sociology he became active in the Religious Research Association where he served on the executive committee. As an early promoter of the use of technology in education and the church, he was the founding president of the Church Computer Users Network in the mid 1980s. He is married to the former Kathryn Hale. They have two grown daughters, Charity Pelletier and Sarah Cook and three grandchildren.

Anna Leach

Anna Leach is the Confidential Assistant at the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Education. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Anna holds a Bachelor"s degree from Hope College where she majored in secondary education. Anna previously interned with the Center in the spring of 2011, supporting the launch of the President"s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge and other key outreach efforts undertaken by the Center to promote engagement of faith-based and community organizations in education. Anna has served as a teacher of 7th grade World History and Geography. Her classroom experience has provided her with essential skills and perspectives to further the work of the Center and its impact at the local level. Additionally, through her leadership activities on campus, focused on strengthening community partnerships to create positive change for stakeholders. In her free time, Anna enjoys traveling, reading, and crossing things off her bucket list.